


Hero Meets Hiro

by Arukou



Series: Tumblr Archive [9]
Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-05-03 04:00:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5275733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arukou/pseuds/Arukou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark watches in awe as his old mentor Robert Gallaghan goes down in flames at the hands of a teenager, and he can't help wanting to meet a kindred spirit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hero Meets Hiro

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://arukou-arukou.tumblr.com/post/120183534301/authors-note-guess-who-just-finally-watched-big) almost immediately after first watching Big Hero 6.

“Can you believe that?” Tony scoffed, tossing the tablet down on the table. He almost wished it was analog, just so it would make a more satisfying noise. Pepper looked up from her own news feed, coffee steaming in front of her nose and eyebrows raised in a fashion that said _‘So help me God, Tony, it’s 7AM_.‘

“Robert Gallaghan. Guy who taught me everything about the principles of robotics. He’s practically Dummy’s grandfather. And he turns supervillain. Can I pick ‘em or what?”

“What does that say about me?” Pepper asked, sipping her coffee and flicking her eyes back down.

“Well, you already have control of my company. Only a matter of time before you sweep all my money out from under me and leave me a homeless beggar under the Brooklyn Bridge.”

“I see you’ve uncovered my dastardly plan,” she said with a smirk. “Guess I’ll have to move up my time table.”

Tony sucked on his teeth, ticking with disgust as he looked back down at the article. “What a waste. He was one of the best professors I ever had, and when they gave him the department at SFIT…I was heartbroken he was leaving MIT, but I couldn’t blame him. Not with the budget they were offering. The selectivity. The pure, undiluted genius.”

Pepper set aside her tablet and considered Tony, inhaling the scent of her coffee and weighing her words. “What kind of program was it?”

“Stuff dreams are made of. The best and the brightest upcoming minds in robotics and engineering. Chemical. Computer. Electrical. People who had big dreams and weren’t afraid to try for them. Not military sell-outs like little old Tony Stark.”

“Tony,” she said warningly, setting the cup aside.

He flashed her a self-deprecating smile and stood, calling up the news article on one of the windows. She studied the flash and bang, the veritable media circus and zeroed in on something Tony hadn’t mentioned. “Is that…a teenager?”

“Huh? Yeah. One of Gallaghan’s prodigies. Helped put him down apparently.”

“And did you not notice the giant red flying robot behind him?”

Tony glanced at the screen and then back at Pepper, his mouth pursed and prim. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Tony.”

“Seriously, Pep. What is this robot of which you speak.”

“Tony.”

He grinned then, devilish, eyes twinkling with the same excitement he showed whenever he had a eureka moment. “Relax, Pep. I’m not planning anything. Much.”

“Oh my god.”

* * *

“I don’t know how they’re gonna fund the department. It was all tied to Gallaghan’s name. What if we lose our scholarships? What if they shut down the lab? What if I have to go to UCLA?”

“You act like that’s the worst thing in the world. Woman up, Wasabi.”

“Where am I gonna sleep if they shut this lab down? Whose mascot am I gonna be?”

“Well, you can sleep in your giant mansion. And even if they shut us down, you’re always gonna be our mascot.”

“But guys…”

“Relax. Even if they shut us down, I’ll think of something.”

“Who said anything about being shut down?”

Hiro turned toward the door, ready to defend this place to the death, and felt his jaw drop. “You…you’re…you’re Tony Stark.”

“Yes, I am,” Tony said with a grin, tipping his sunglasses back until they perched in his hair. “And as of this moment, you are all on the Stark Stellar Stupendous Superheroes Scholarship.”

“The Stark Stellar…are you serious?”

“No, are you kidding? Pep would never let me name it that. It’s actually the Stark Engineering Scholarship for Promising Young Minds. Start earning your feed, minions, and show me what you’ve been working on.”

“Mr. Stark. I’m a huge fan. Let me show you my laser arrays. I’ve seen the one you use on your Iron Man prosthesis and I have a few suggestions…”

“No, Mr. Stark. Let me just get out my instantaneously solidifying gelatinous cement solution. I was thinking if you packed it in an arrowhead, Hawkeye could…”

“Mr. Stark. I am your hugest fan. Hugest. You have no idea. I…I have action figures of you.”

Tony looked at them all, feeling both benevolent and bemused, and then trained his eyes on the young Asian woman with the scowl. “You’re not going to offer up your latest creation?”

“I have my dignity,” she replied, turning away and heading back toward her workstation. “But if you’re at all interested in frictionless forms of transportation, feel free to take a peek.”

“Huh,” Tony said, and turned back. The others were dispersing now, apparently having realized that they might have just embarrassed themselves. But the teenager, Hiro, remained. 

Tony had done his research on all of these kids, right down to their favorite restaurants and Starbucks orders. He couldn’t help but feel a little kindred spirit with the boy genius alone in the world at such a young age. And hey. Anyone who painted their first robot hot-rod red couldn’t be all bad.

“We really still have a place here?” he asked cautiously, eyes passing quickly over all his cohorts.

“You really do,” Tony replied, offering his hand. After a moment and a suspicious once-over, Hiro shook it and smiled hesitantly. “So. I hear you’ve been developing microbots. Have you thought about going even smaller? Nano-scale?”

“Would you…would you like to see, Mr. Stark?”

Tony grinned, a genuine thing that crinkled up the corners of his eyes. “Yeah, kid. I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> For more fanfiction and nerdery, you can find me on [tumblr](http://arukou-arukou.tumblr.com/).


End file.
